How have CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC ratings changed since the 2024 election?
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Executive summary
Since the Nov. 2024 election the three big cable-news brands have diverged: Fox News has largely picked up viewers and posted gains in multiple post-election reports, while CNN and MSNBC saw steep immediate post-election declines with periodic rebounds tied to specific events and months in 2025 [1] [2] [3]. The pattern is not uniform—MSNBC and CNN have occasional month-to-month or event-driven gains (notably off‑year election nights and November 2025), but overall they remain well below many 2024 benchmarks [4] [5] [6].
1. Fox News: post‑election surge and sustained strength
Multiple data snapshots show Fox emerging as the chief beneficiary of the post‑election audience shift: Fox averaged 3.02 million primetime viewers in the president’s first 100 days, up substantially versus pre‑election 2024 averages, and continued to report year‑over‑year growth in several 2025 months, even achieving its highest non‑election‑year primetime average in 2025 with 2.72 million viewers in one annual measure [2] [7]. Quarterly and monthly tallies show Fox topping total‑day and primetime rankings repeatedly, with Nielsen‑based reports noting Fox’s gains in both raw viewers and the advertiser demo at multiple points after the election [8] [9]. These numbers cohere around a narrative of Fox consolidating a larger share of the cable news audience after the 2024 result [1].
2. CNN: large post‑election drop, partial recoveries around events
CNN experienced pronounced post‑election declines in linear viewing, with reports citing drops in the 30–50 percent range relative to various 2024 baselines in the immediate aftermath and into 2025, including primetime averages falling into the mid‑hundreds of thousands in some periods [3] [1] [2]. However, CNN showed month‑to‑month rebounds tied to coverage cycles—November 2025 primetime and total‑day figures improved versus the prior month and CNN even led the demo on certain election‑night coverage nights in 2025 [4] [6] [5]. The network has signaled a strategic offset to lower linear viewing by leaning into digital/subscription initiatives, a caveat cited in reporting about its audience strategy [3].
3. MSNBC: steep fall then episodic wins and a rebrand‑era bounce
MSNBC’s audience collapsed sharply after the election, with some accounts putting post‑election declines as large as 40–57 percent versus 2024 pre‑election periods and weeks where it only slightly outdrew CNN [1] [10] [3]. Still, MSNBC delivered notable one‑night successes—off‑year election night 2025 coverage produced its largest primetime audience of 2025 and, at times, outpaced Fox in primetime on specific nights; the network began transitioning to a new brand, MS NOW, and these programming and branding moves coincided with occasional viewership rebounds [11] [5] [7]. The data portray a network that has lost broad post‑election momentum but can still generate big spikes around event coverage.
4. Nuance: demos, timeframes and the event effect
Across the reporting, declines and gains differ by metric: total viewers versus the advertiser‑coveted Adults 25–54 demo often tell different stories—Fox dominated total viewers in many measures, while CNN or MSNBC sometimes led the demo on particular nights [6] [7]. Comparisons are sensitive to the baseline used—many 2025 declines are measured against an atypically high‑interest 2024 election year, and network performance often improves during specific news events or off‑year elections, producing sharp but temporary reversals of the post‑election trend [4] [9].
5. Caveats, agendas and what the numbers don’t settle
The sources themselves come with perspectives and selective framing—outlets such as OutKick offered interpretive, partisan takes on why viewers fled CNN and MSNBC [10], while industry outlets focus on Nielsen snapshots and network statements that highlight favorable comparisons [7] [2]. The available reporting documents clear directional shifts—Fox up, CNN/MSNBC down overall since the election—but cannot fully explain viewer motivation, platform migration to streaming or the long‑term sustainability of event‑driven spikes; those remain open questions beyond these Nielsen‑based summaries [8] [3].